Introduction
Launched in a blaze of glory little more than 12 months ago, Stralis is the truck that undeniably has to deliver the goods for Iveco in the UK artic market. It was ‘make or break’ time once before for the Italian truck maker with EuroTech and EuroStar. So this is absolutely, positively the very last time to get it right.’ Stralis is a very different beast to its predecessors, thanks to an all new cab and interior – although, reassuringly, it has proven Cursor 10 and 14 diesels to propel it. (When you’re launching a new truck range it doesn’t pay to change everything at once.) having originally unveiled ‘Active Time’ and ‘Active Day’ models (CM 24-30 April) which replace the EuroTech in the fleet sector.
However, all eyes will clearly be on the ‘big’ Stralis, and whether it can stake a claim to the flagship tractor arena. If it can, then Iveco could finally be seen as a credible rival to Scania, Daf and Volvo. If it can’t…well, let’s not go there.
Product Profile
Whatever happened to the days when trucks were called ‘Super Bison’, and that was it? The full nomenclature of our test artic (according to its spec sheet) is a tongue-twisting AS440S54TX/P. Fortunately, with the secret pocket decoder it all makes perfect sense. AS = Active Space cab; 440S54 is a 44-tonne GCW Stralis with a nominal 540hp; T stands for tractor, X is for twin-steer and, last but not least, P means the rear axle rides on air. Easy.
By any yardstick, the Stralis is “evolutionary rather than revolutionary”. Its basic chassis and drivetrain have been tried and tested in the EuroStar and EuroTrakker ranges. The 12.8 litre Cursor 13 six-pot is Iveco’s ‘big banger’, boasting 532hp and 2,350Nm of torque on tap. Behind it sits the latest incarnation of ZF’s AS-Tronic 16-speed, two-pedal direct-top auto box, sold in the Stralis under the EuroTronic banner. Iveco’s faith in ZF’s auto is clearly underpinned by the fact that it’s the only box in town for a ‘540’ engine, although you can still get a manual shift with the ‘480’ rating.
Like its smaller Cursor 10 and 8 siblings, the Euro-3 Cursor 13 has unit injectors driven by an overhead cam, plus a variable geometry turbocharger that can speed up the airflow when the revs are dropping, thereby increasing boost pressure and helping to overcome low-speed turbo lag. It also ensures maximum back pressure when you use the Iveco Turbo Brake – basically an engine compression device similar to a Jake. To aid cooler engine running, Iveco has increased the area of the Stralis’s radiator and charge-cooler and added a new fan which cuts in more gradually. Altogether, the revisions are said to deliver a 1.5%saving in fuel consumption.
Although the Stralis cab retains a significant amount of the old EuroStar’s sheet-metal core, it’s got an all-new interior and updated exterior including more SMC panels in vulnerable areas. The full-width Active Space cabin comes with a “one-size-fits-all” standard high roof and sits on a new four-point air and damper suspension. Under the Active Space banner, there’s a choice of three distinct interior configurations for single or double manning on local and long-distance work.
CM’s test tractor boasted the “Twin Driver” option with two bunks and a normal passenger seat that can be rotated inwards by 90o to give more leg room. In addition to the three basic interior layouts you can also customise your Stralis cab to suit every driver whim – and most importantly from the owner’s viewpoint, switch things back if vehicle usage changes.
Hidden away from the eye is a new multi-plexed wiring system which uses CAN bus technology to control every electrical component – not just the engine and gearbox. Consequently, the whole electrical system should now ‘talk’ to each component like never before, with fault diagnosis easier too. While sounding like an auto electrician’s nightmare, Iveco insists it actually simplifies the wiring between the chassis and cab and within the cab itself. As an example, it cites the nearside electric window switches: previously in the EuroStar a three-wire circuit was needed between the two switches for the window; now each switch needs only a single wire from the local control point (plus earth) with another wire leading from the control unit to the window mechanism itself. If either switch breaks, the other still works.
Like other flagship rivals, the Stralis 6x2 boasts electronically-controlled disc brakes plus ASR as standard. The twin-steer’s air-sprung mid-axle is fixed, rather than lifting – but manufacturer approved lifting conversions are available in the UK. The 3.8m overall axle spread allows for a 450-litre ally tank in between. Power is laid down on the road via an ECAS-controlled Meritor drive axle. To save weight our test Stralis had Alcoa alloy rims.
Last but not least, by using fully-synthetic oils the Stralis’s service intervals are up from 100,000 to 150,000km while the axle lube intervals are also up from 160,000 to 300,000km. And if you have a EuroTronic box, Iveco predicts a clutch life of more than 800,000km.
Productivity
It’s no exaggeration to say that most manufacturers desperately want to finish CM’s artic test route with more than 7.0mpg. And if that sounds easy, it isn’t. The advent of 44-tonnes has hammered fuel economy, especially through the A68 severe gradient section – aka “The Valley Of Death”. Our two most recently tested tractors – the Volvo FH12.460 and the Merc Actros 2546 – barely cleared the 7mpg bar, as our comparison chart shows.
So first the good news. In the middle of ideal test weather (warm and still) the Stralis 540 delivered a seriously good 7.48mpg which becomes even more impressive when you look at its A68 returns and consider how much power the Cursor 13 puts out. Only Daf’s fleet-friendly CF85.430FTG has done better overall at 44 tonnes though it’s clearly not in the same league as the Stralis when it comes to outright performance.
Here’s some more good news. The Stralis is no blimp. At 8,460 road-ready it’s lighter than many of its direct rivals including the DAF 95XF Super Space Cab, the muscle-bound Scania V8 R164 Topline and the aforementioned Actros. Only Volvo’s FH12 Globetrotter offers more potential payload. And there’s more. With 540hp on tap the Iveco is one of the quickest in the 0-80km/h sprint stakes and on hill climbs only the Daf and Scania were faster – but they didn’t have the extra three tonnes the Stralis was carrying.
And now for the bad news: well, there isn’t any we can see – at least not when it comes to productivity anyway.
